The Arcane Gems
by Combined Gamers
Summary: Simple things can start big things, like writing a book, or falling deathly ill. Big things can start simple things, like breaking 5 laws all at once, or getting rained on. Peridot cut some rope, had a magical lady nearly murder her, and then caught some fish. After that? A grand adventure awaits.
1. Chapter 1

A servant walked through the halls of a glorious blue palace, decorated with silver, gold, an odd blue metal they didn't know the name of. Bright daylight poured in through stain-glass windows. It was cool and calm despite the heat outside.

They walked up to a large door, painted with blue diamonds that had tiny, pale blue pearls in the centre of each one. Like little icicles, or water droplets.

They knocked on the door a few times, expecting the soft voice of the young princess Azul to answer, but the knocks were met with a weak hoarse coughing instead. "Princess Azul?" The young servant asked, but there wasn't a sound after that.

They opened up the door to an awful sight, the young princess, only 12 years old, was laying on the floor of her room, convulsing and struggling to breath clearly. "Your highness!" The servant cried out as they ran over to her, a middle-aged woman not far behind them. They turned to the woman, "Get Queen Azura, tell her that her daughter is gravely ill!" They shouted as Azul coughed and spluttered on the dark blue carpeted floor. Her pale blue hair covered her eyes and her skin was drenched with sweat.

Holly Blue nodded and ran down the hall, rules be damned for a moment, to the bedroom of the Queen, the powerful woman who ruled over the Blue Diamond kingdom, Queen Azura. "Your Majesty, I have terrible news!" The tall woman said to the royal, who turned to her with a dark look, Azura was known for being strict with people.

She was absolutely beautiful, her long dark cloak that flowed behind her like a waterfall, soft hair which almost merged together in the front to form a ring-like shape. She was a glittering diamond, majestic and unreachable.

"So terrible that you are to come into my chamber without knocking?" She asked, her vibrant blue eyes glinting in the sun, which streamed into the room, they almost matched her pale blue hair. "What is it Holly?" She asked after a moment of awed silence.

"It is your daughter... Princess Azul, she's fallen ill..." She said gravely, and Azura's eyes widened.

The regal woman's heart was soft when it came to her daughter, "How badly?" She asked gently, and for just a moment Azura was no longer a monarch, but a mother scared for her baby. Holly shook her head, she hadn't seen much, but she what she HAD seen was horrifying, the small girl coiled up on the ground too weak to move, and if she was moving it was only because her cough had been that bad. If a gifted healer wasn't found fast, the princess would...

"Holly, how long does she have?" Azura asked her, and the royal adviser looked up at the Queen.

"Not long. But i-if we... Oh I hate them but... If we were to find a certain type of person who could slow the illness we would probably have about two weeks." She said, "But the only creatures who know how to do that are Witches, or Ice Spirits. And even then if we do find a doctor they would have to be okay with the fact the Azul isn't-" Holly was quickly cut off by the now angered Queen.

"I will not have supernatural people looked down upon in my kingdom!" She hissed, "Find one for me and keep my child alive! I... I will search for a healer myself..." Said Azura, who turned around, no longer facing the adviser. "...No matter what it takes..."

"Yes your majesty."

POV SHIFT- Peridot

She was sitting in an old oak tree, the birds chirping annoyingly around her. The blonde sighed a little as she thumbed through the pages of an old book her father had given her before his passing. It was completely blank, he had told her to fill it with whatever she liked, and Peridot had promised she would... But ever since the deaths of her parents, she couldn't bring herself to be inspired by anything. Even if they had ignored her, she missed them dearly.

She didn't want to be a poet, the thought of it made the small blonde woman roll her eyes. She had always wanted to do research on Monsters, however she would consider herself rather unlucky where others would call themselves blessed. The kingdom she lived in was anti-monster through and through. The Yellow Diamond kingdom, ruled by Yella and her daughter, Limone.

Peridot shuddered at the thought of her betrothed fiance. She hated her. The princess was snobby and rude, not to mention looked down on anyone who wasn't purely human. She and Peridot were set to be married until the blonde woman had run away in the night, desperate to get away. She had run through a large stretch of birch forest until she had come to a small village.

"The village of people who hate me for being tiny, as if I can't fight, I'll show them." She muttered to no one in particular, the blonde was bitter and cranky from lack of sleep. There had been people, a group of hunters, talking right outside her window all through the night. She smiled though as she remembered what they had been talking about.

A nest of river Sirens had been found a little ways east, near the Blue Diamond kingdom. They were going to attack it, and Peridot wanted to be there. For not only research, but to hopefully kill one in order to prove herself worthy of living in the village.

The young woman pulled out a charcoal pencil and wrote down on the first page of her book, "My name is Peridot, and though I know that we humans already have a book dedicated to the study of monsters, I would like to propose a new version, as I believe we may have made a few mistakes." She wrote down in what she hoped was neat handwriting, "This will be my version, The Study of Arcane Creatures, and Then Some."


	2. Meeting Lapis

Lapis layed stretched out on her stomach on a smooth, sun-warmed rock, listening to the singing voices of the others around her. Most of them were quite young, but that was to be expected. After all, Sirens never lasted long. They were hunted down by humans and killed for no other reason then possessing a possible risk. Most only expected to live until 35 until a human would find and kill them.

She rolled over, enjoying the feeling of the hot summer sun on her skin. The half Siren folded her arms behind her head and sighed. She had just been in a massive argument with her parents, she grimaced and almost groaned at the very memory of it.

The river was quite deep, perfect for Sirens to live in it. Her mother and stepfather had found her looking for a fish to eat, she was starving, it seemed humans were doing a lot of fishing upstream.

Her mother had spoken first. "Lapis, you need to stop avoiding this." Her mother had blue hair like her, only much longer and lighter with her bangs covering one of her eyes. She was pale and rather plump woman, having her new mate, Lapis' stepfather, constantly go hunt for her, she was the opposite of Lapis' tan skin and lean body. "Dear, it's about time you got a mate." Lapis rolled her eyes at those words.

"Mom please, I'm 22 years old, I'm fine." She told her with a hint of bitterness, most other Sirens her age had found their mate and had already started quickly growing families. Lapis however had a slight dilemma in that department.

She wasn't exactly interested in males. It was looked down upon in many Siren communities for not having as many children as possible. You were supposed to have large amounts of babies in the desperate hope of keeping that some of them would grow up to be adults and make new nests. But Lapis knew that this nest was small anyways, there were many more river Sirens near the Pink Diamond kingdom. But had she told her parents she was gay? No, and she didn't have plans to.

"Lapis come on, you're a lovely girl. There's no reason you shouldn't have a husband by now." Said her mother, her stepfather nodded.

"You need to stop being so stubborn about this. It's for the greater good Lapis." He had told her, but Lapis whirled around and glared at him.

With anger in her voice the young woman snapped, "I don't want to get married! Our population may not be good right HERE but in other parts it's fine, humans haven't searched this river in YEARS! I don't want to be just some meaningless baby maker! So just-" The blue haired half Witch would have kept going until her stepfather cut her off.

"Lapis Lazuli do not take that tone with us!" He shouted at her, but she could feel the water around her start to swirl ever so slightly, "We are your parents, we raised you along with your father until he died." His commanding, booming voice had no effect on the enraged girl.

"I'm not a little girl anymore! Stop forcing me to act like you still have authority over me! And you know what? Yeah, my father is dead, and that fucking sucks, but guess what? YOU AREN'T HIM! He wouldn't have done this!" The half Siren snarled, the gills on her neck puffing out to make herself seem more dangerous, the river's current was now moving rapidly, she'd need to eat soon.

Lapis didn't give him any time to say anything else, she kept her rant going with a strong steady voice, "He cared about how I felt a hell of a lot more than you two ever have, so until you can get what I've been saying for a long time now through your thick skulls, I'll be downstream." Lapis huffed as she turned and gracefully sped through the warm water, barely having to put any effort into her swimming due to the current she had accidentally made.

And now she was here on the rocks, absorbing the heat from them. The sun beat down on her face as her toes lazily dipped into the water on occasion. The water was calm now, her powers under control. "What I would give for something to change... I'll take anything right now, I swear."

POV SHIFT- Peridot

Peridot sat by herself in the attic of her house. Her housemate, a healer named Jason, (she swore he was named after the hero of legend) was working downstairs. A quiet and polite man, he had been the only welcoming person in the village when Peridot had arrived. He was a gifted doctor, and that extended to non-human people too, but he had explained to Peridot most of the time supernatural creatures were too frightened to let him help them.

The little blonde wiggled her feet (her legs were pathetically small, her feet didn't really reach the floor) as she sat in the wooden chair, staring at the candles she had placed in the top right and left corners of her desk. Tiny flames that danced beautifully in the darkness of the attic. Peridot knew it was the middle of the day, but she worked better when the world felt like the night.

She was copying a bit of information from her father's book, he had written the original 'Book of Monsters', and while Peridot believed that most of the information within the golden brown pages was inaccurate or exaggerated, some of it was useful. Just little things though.

The book didn't have any pictures of the Monsters themselves, not many people wanted to up close and personal to a supernatural creature. But it painted a picture through the things it said about some of the Monsters. She examined her father's book.

Fire Spirit- Mostly stay to the east, close to the rising sun. Known for their bad tempers and dangerous fire abilities, vicious and would kill a human as quickly as possible with their flames if offended. Extremely easy to offend. Can be captured to be used to cook food. Dangerous, kill on sight if angered.

The page had a single burn mark, this WAS the original book after all. Peridot knew there was another, much more elusive type of Spirit know as the Earth Spirit, however her father had no information on it other than that they stayed in underground tunnels and were EXTREMELY territorial.

Ice Spirits- Prefer to stay in the north, mostly calm but can go out of control if enraged. Can create ice and snow around them, ranging from bitter cold diamond dust to sharp hail that can kill a man in less than a minute. Dangerous, kill on sight.

This page had little snowflakes drawn on it. All of them were tipped with dark ink, implying blood.

Vampires- Hate sunlight and have a weakness to it ranging from general discomfort to physical pain to illness to death. Capable of drinking every drop of blood in a fully grown humans body in one sitting. Fangs can be taken and crushed into a powder for medicinal purposes, doing so will kill the creature in the process. A threat to livestock, children and elderly, kill on sight.

There was a little picture in the bottom corner of the page of a half crushed fang.

Werewolves- While these beasts appear to be normal during the day, every night the moon is out they transform into hideous beasts, though they are weaker when the moon is less full. During a full moon it is advised not to engage one alone, as this is when they have gone beyond all control. If captured, make sure to keep shackled in a strong cage. A threat to livestock and any people around them. Extremely dangerous, kill on sight.

There was an illustration of the moon cycle along with a human footprint turning into a wolves paw-print.

Water Nymphs- These shy beasts like to masquerade as humans in hope of kidnapping one as a sort of toy, behaviours range from quiet and almost peaceful to cunning and passive-aggressive. For a reason unknown they never stray too far from the water, and are never seen on land for too long. Can be captured to clean and purify water.

There was an illustration of a water lily. Peridot knew Water Nymphs didn't pose much of a danger, there was barely any warning on the page except to make sure to drive them off before making a home near them.

Forest Nymphs- These odd creatures will attempt to play tricks on humans with illusions they create when in or near the forest. With many of them attempting to befriend a human only for said human to become entranced by the illusion world. The preferred method for killing these creatures is to keep them out of sunlight of 24 hours. Doing so will cause them to become fatally ill and die shortly after. Potentially dangerous, kill one if it goes up to you.

There was an image of what seemed to be a leaf made of gold. Forest Nymphs were a VERY tricky bunch.

Oracle: Not much is known about this extremely rare mystical creature. The only information on it is that they are born when the powers of two different Spirits combine, and that they have a third eye capable of seeing the future. Though they posses great strength, they are often hunted and killed for their third eye.

There was a picture of a star on this page. Just for symbolism of future sight course, not much had ever been recorded about them, her father had written about Oracles on rumour alone.

The next page sent a shiver down her spine.

Siren- These bloodthirsty killers have been known to sing with an angelic voice capable of taking control of a humans mind. The Siren can then lure a human into the water to their death, not many have gotten close to a Siren and lived to tell the tale. These beasts also posses the ability to emit a concussive scream capable of killing a human at close range. A Siren has never hesitated to kill a human. Use ranged weapons to try and surprise it. Extremely dangerous, run or kill on sight.

There wasn't an illustration on this page. Peridot didn't know if she'd want to see it.

Witch- This powerful being has never before been studied by a human. Its physical strength is unknown, along with the limit of its powers. No human has gone to one and survived, no human should make an attempt to find one. If found, do not engage, hide and pray IT DOES NOT FIND YOU.

"Peridot?" She almost jumped out of her chair when Jason called to her, She turned to look at the way up into the attic. She walked over and looked down. "I'll be going out for a while, that and the hunters are looking for you... Honestly I don't know why you thought it would be a good idea to go with them..." He said, his green eyes darkening.

The blonde sighed, "Oh come on Jason, you KNOW why I went. I need them to trust me, and I need to do research. I mean, yeah I'll feel bad for killing one, but I'll be respectful. I'll make it quick and I'll bury the body. I promise." She said, and she knew the guilt of taking a creatures life would haunt her forever, but Peridot needed to do this. She would never do it again, but these WERE Sirens... They never hesitated to kill a human, and they were said to be merciless.

She would have mercy on it. "Just... Be careful please? As much as I think Sirens are misunderstood I can't deny that if you guys attack a nest they'll be angry and dangerous." He told her, and the short girl nodded.

"Of course I'll be careful. My mom and dad are watching over me." She pointed to the sky and Jason gave a tiny smile.

"Whatever you say Peridot. I should be home when you get back." Said the healer, and an unspoken thought swept over the both of them. _'That's if I get back at all.'_

After tucking her book into a leather bag (that once possessed a yellow diamond sewn onto the front until she had taken the threads out) she headed outside. The sun was almost blinding and Peridot squinted against the harsh rays, it was hot out too.

"Oi! Runt!" A burly man called to her, in his hand was a bow, in the other was a quiver filled with arrows. "Glad to see you got your nose outta that damned book!" He shouted and gestured for her to come closer.

"What is it?" Peridot asked as she drew near, "Are we leaving for the nest now?"

The man nodded, "We leave in a minute to destroy the nest of water beasts. You need a weapon. Grab something that isn't bigger than you." He said, his voice rough. Peridot mocked him under her breath as he walked away.

She looked around the walls of the barracks. There weren't many weapons that the tiny woman could easily wield. Most were axes or maces and even bolas. She found a small knife sitting on a table and picked it up.

She knew she wasn't supposed to get close to one but maybe, just maybe if one was already injured she could kill it quickly. Peridot would prove herself yet. She put the knife in her bag.

The young woman caught up with the group of hunters just as they were about to leave, "I'm here!" She called, but one of the hunters scoffed at the young blonde.

"Oh great, who let HER in here? She's weak! We don't even know if we can trust her yet!" They shouted, and Peridot shrunk back a bit.

Acutely aware of their gazes locked onto her the short girl puffed out her chest and started to speak. "I can fight, and I would gladly fight for the safety of others. You can trust me, this I am sure of. I swear, I can change all of your minds." She promised.

The leader of the group, the one back at the barracks, nodded. "Well we'll just have to see about that won't we?" he looked around and the other hunters nodded. "Now let's go get that nest."

Peridot looked around as they walked, the area in and near Yella's kingdom seemed to be locked in a restrained quiet, as if all of the flora and fauna in and around it was trying to hide. But in and around Azura's kingdom was full of life. _'Of course it is, they have nothing to fear.'_ Peridot thought to herself.

While Azura was rumoured to be strict with any criminal, she was also said to be kind to supernatural creatures. Yella liked to focus on her soldiers, Azura focused on helping whatever Monsters the older Queen hadn't already slain.

Peridot wanted to know what it was like in the Blue Diamond kingdom. Any and all hunting was banned, and hunters who were caught would be put to death. Azura was said to be smart for a young Queen, only 28 years old (she would be 29 in a few weeks) compared to Yella's 42. She had given birth to Princess Azul (who had been said to have fallen ill recently, poor thing) at around age 17. Peridot wasn't sure.

The made it to the river, it was calm, and Peridot could faintly hear singing upstream. "They aren't using their spell. It's a trick to lure us in, make us think it's okay before they use their magic and drown us all!" The lead hunter snarled and Peridot flinched, she had been trying to listen and his voice was loud. Not to mention she was right beside the great oaf. "Everyone, ready your weapons." Now his voice was low, dangerous. The tone of a predator.

All at once they charged, Peridot tried her best to follow them. The first one they had seen was laying on a rock sunbathing, its short hair was a dark blue and it had tan skin, it looked graceful and sleek, but Peridot had only caught a single glance at the beast before it dove into the water the second the battle cry sounded.

Peridot stayed behind the group from that point on, the frightened howls of the creatures being slain made her heart ache. The one she had first seen resurfaced and climbed up onto the shore, the young blonde watched it as it took off running. It climbed into a tree and started jumping through the treetops. Peridot saw one of the hunters roar at it before throwing a bola in its direction. It shrieked in pain as the weapon wrapped itself around her- no it! It wasn't human!

The young woman couldn't make herself watch the miniature genocide any longer, so she opted to find the Siren that she had been watching. It had fallen a little ways off, as the ground near the river had a frighteningly sheer drop. She slid down the dry dirt, thanking the gods she had tough skin, and made her way to a tiny clearing.

There it was, laying perfectly still, was one of the most dangerous creatures in the world. Its hands were pinned to its side due to the rough rope and its ankle had a tear in the skin, resulting in a small puddle of blood on the ground. Peridot started shaking, the blonde grabbed the little knife out of her bag, fumbling it and nearly dropping it in the process.

She advanced on the beast, its soft short hair was fluffy and dark. If the young woman looked closely at its face she could see freckles too. It was completely tied up, helpless. Her heart lurched when it opened its eyes, it was breathing quietly, one of the only sounds in the forest other than the soft breeze. Desperate to prove herself, Peridot raised her knife and tried to make herself seem threatening.

"I'm going to kill you siren..." She said, and she could swear the creature could probably hear her heartbeat, "I'm... I'm g-gonna cut out your vocal cords and take them back with me." She said and raised her knife higher. She looked at the Siren's face.

The beautiful creature let out a soft groan of despair as its head rolled back, accepting its fate by leaving its neck completely exposed. Peridot's shaking got worse.

"I can do this..." She told herself as she gazed down at the helpless Monster. "I c-can do this..." She looked at it again, its large blue eyes were with defeat and fear, its life was about to be ended, and for what? She looked at its eyes one last time before moving her gaze up to her knife. She saw herself.

"I..." Her voice broke, all she could hear was the Siren's soft, quiet breathing and her own heart pounding, blood roaring in her ears. The blonde never knew that silence could be deafening.

"I... c-can't do this..." She knelt down by it, still gripping tightly onto her knife. She put the knife against the tight ropes holding the Siren down.

With sharp snaps Peridot cut through the ropes with her knife, she could hear the creature take in a sharp breath and stiffen. The cut on its ankle now bleeding faster than before. Peridot could barely take a step back before the beast leaped and slammed her down against a large rock, snarling, its hand just beneath her throat.

The blonde looked into its eyes, deep blue with golden flecks, mirror like and filled with a burning hatred. She could see her own terrified face in its eyes, _'A Siren has never hesitated to kill a human.'_ Her father's words flooded back to her and Peridot had the feeling her life was about to end. Peridot could feel her chest rise and fall quickly as she hyperventilated, but she felt like she couldn't breath as she stared into the Siren's poisonously angry eyes. The eyes of death.

It reared up, bearing its sharp teeth before slamming the palms of its hands down right near the sides of her head. The Siren let out an earsplitting scream. It wasn't using its full power, if it had the blonde would have been killed instantly. Peridot closed her eyes, tried to ignore the pain in her head, and instead waited for death in the form of sharp teeth crashing down on her.

But it never came, when the blonde opened her eyes she could see the creature running/limping away. Peridot layed on the ground trembling, her ears were ringing.

' _A Siren has never hesitated to kill a human.'_ She thought, and just before she lost consciousness she added, _'So why did you?'_


	3. Song of the Siren Cry of the Wolf

Peridot woke up a little while later, the forest was silent, as if the silence in the Yellow Diamond kingdom's forests had spread there like a disease, swallowing up all sounds of life. She stood up and looked around.

There was a small trail of blood in the clearing where the Siren had run away, coupled with a small spot where the bushes had parted. Come to think of it, that creature couldn't have been a pure-blooded Siren, she couldn't see gills on it, its hands and feet lacked webbing and its eyes had been flecked with gold. It was half Witch, an extremely powerful creature that deserved respect.

The young woman walked around a little, making sure to pick her knife up off the ground, she reached a stream when she heard a frustrated growl. Peridot poked her head up and saw it, it was kneeling down by the stream trying desperately to catch a fish with its bare hands.

Peridot watched it hesitantly dip its injured foot into the water, only to reel back hissing in pain. "I'm going to starve, aren't I?" It asked to no one.

Peridot's green eyes widened, it... No, it was a girl, these creatures were not animals. She could speak! Her voice was pretty but filled with despair, Peridot grabbed a stick off of the ground and went to work. Years ago her father had taught her how to catch (and cook) fish out in the wild, and while sure, it had been boring to her as a child it was still a useful skill. Within a short amount of time she had a small stone plate of cooked fish.

She prayed that the Siren would still be merciful, Peridot really wasn't looking forward to losing any limbs any time soon. She watched as the creature limped away from the water, her stomach was growling and Peridot's heart ached a bit for her. Here was this powerful creature, alone, afraid, injured and not mention starving.

The blonde stepped through the bushes towards the blue haired woman, who backed away growling at her. Peridot put the stone plate down and nervously slid it over to her with one of her feet. She cautiously sniffed at it and looked up at her, Peridot could have sworn the woman's mouth was watering. "W-what? You poison it or something?" She asked and the shorter girl shook her head.

"No, I didn't, I swear." She assured her and the half Siren stepped forward before grabbing one of the fish with her mouth, threw her head back and, all in one swift motion, swallowed the fish whole. She licked her lips before wolfing down a few more, Peridot gave a nervous chuckle and grabbed the smallest fish from the plate. The half Witch growled at her making her raise her hands in defence, "I caught them, I should at least be allowed one." She reasoned, and the woman seemed satisfied with that.

The blue haired girl layed down on the ground after finishing her meal and rubbed her stomach with a soft sigh. Peridot gave a soft chuckle, "Is it good?" She asked and the Siren nodded.

"I haven't eaten like that in so long..." She said wistfully and Peridot felt a bit bad. The blue haired woman sat up, "Human... Who are you?" She asked, her deep blue gaze filling with a mix of suspicion and curiosity.

"My name is Peridot Aurum." She told her, and the woman nodded.

She seemed to still be on edge, but she did respond with "Lapis Lazuli... Thanks, for the food." Peridot moved a bit closer to her but she backed away again, growling at first bit wincing when she put weight in her injured ankle.

"H-hey, it's alright, I won't hurt you." She said, but Lapis shook her head and pressed herself against a boulder. Peridot got low to the ground to try to show that she wasn't a threat. "I just want to help you. You're hurt, your ankle got cut, didn't it?" She asked gently, and the blue haired girl nodded. Peridot took a clean handkerchief from her bag and gestured for Lapis to come closer. "I can help you, you just have to trust me, okay?"

"How do I know this isn't some trick? And yes, I am hurt, no thanks to your godsdamn species." She hissed and Peridot grimaced, "Oh, I'm sorry, did I hurt your feelings like your weapon hurt me?" Peridot looked into her eyes, she was trying to make barbed quips at her, but the blonde could see pain along with fear in her eyes.

"Lapis, I don't want to hurt you, I didn't even throw that bola! I feel really bad about what happened to you, and I want to make it better somehow. Look I... I couldn't have hurt you back there, I'm not a killer." She explained and Lapis' eyes softened, Peridot then added, "And I know you aren't either... Lapis why did you let me live?" She asked.

The Siren looked down at the bloodied dirt, then at her wounded leg before bringing her gold-speckled gaze back to Peridot herself. Staring straight into her eyes Lapis told her very quietly, "Because I looked into your eyes Peridot, and you were just as terrified as I was..."

She held out her ankle, the young blonde cupped some water in her hands and washed away the dried blood, Lapis hissing occasionally when she did so. She tied the handkerchief around the wounded woman and helped her to her feet. "Do you want to go back to your river?" Peridot asked her, and the blue haired girl nodded.

"I just want to go home."

Peridot helped her walk through a tiny stretch of forest, taking note that Lapis did not have any gills visible, Sirens were said to have gills on their neck, but where were hers? Could she seal them up on land? Peridot was so curious about her, she would have to ask more questions if she had the chance, she wanted the information in her book to be accurate.

Oh boy did she ever regret bringing Lapis to the river... There weren't any humans around, and there weren't any living Sirens either. The water had turned a dark red, the once bone dry ground was slick and the air was heavy with the scent of death. She saw Lapis fall to her knees and give a strangled, grieving cry.

Peridot wanted desperately to be able to comfort her, but she didn't know what to say, her entire colony had just been slaughtered, friends and family, even innocent children had perished by the cruel humans that the blonde would be eternally ashamed to have travelled with. "I..." Her voice broke as she looked at the horrid scene, Lapis was crying softly and letting out the occasional heart-wrenching sob by the banks of the reddened river. "I'm sorry..."

The Siren shook her head and sniffed, "Y-you didn't d-do this, I'm sorry I-I got mad at you..." She said with a trembling voice as Peridot walked over and gently put a hand on her shoulder. Then the taller girl lifted her head, keeping her eyes closed, before her beautiful yet sorrowful voice started to sing as the river slowly moved by, carrying the blood of fallen Sirens with it. Peridot quickly took out her book and wrote down the words of the song that Lapis was singing.

We see you,

You don't think we do,

But we see you...

Flying high above us,

You see us dying,

You see the bodies of our loved ones...

But you ignore us,

You ignore them too...

You pretend we're not here...

Help us,

Save us...

Please don't leave...

We see you flying away,

Pretending we don't exist,

Like our lives don't matter,

You leave us drowning...

Abandoning us to our fate...

POV SHIFT- Jasper Redimido

She ran through the dark forest, desperate to get away from the monster that had attacked her, she was bleeding from the wounds that seemed to be all over her body, she had been running for a long time now first on all fours, then on her legs, she was close to her breaking point.

The tall woman burst through the bushes and trees and backed away upon finding herself much to close to a human village, but her legs finally gave up and Jasper collapsed. Scared and exhausted she no longer cared who would want to help her, she would take it. She was breathing hard, the sun was beating down on her and her thick white hair certainly wasn't helping. "Please... Help me..." She sent up a prayer to the gods and hoped that one of the good ones were listening.

It wasn't long before someone found her, a tall human woman with darker skin than Jasper's, although she had broad shoulders just like her, with her muscles and height she looked strong but all Jasper could see was fearful concern. Her multicoloured hair was in dreadlocks the fell over her shoulders, judging from her outfit Jasper would say that this woman was probably a blacksmith. "Are you okay?" The woman asked but Jasper no longer had the strength to respond. "Oh gods, look. I'm going to help you, I'll bring you back to my place, okay? Don't freak out, I'm not gonna hurt you."

Jasper gave a sigh of relief as the woman picked her up off of the ground. "What the hell were you doing out there all alone? Werewolves live in that forest, they can get pretty aggressive." She told her and Jasper nodded.

She managed to get her weakened voice to croak out "I work there, I deliver things to others..." The white haired woman explained, she wasn't lying. She had been making a delivery in the night to her half Witch half Siren pain-in-the-ass friend when a Werewolf had attacked her for the food she had. Jasper had been caught completely off guard and had been forced to run for her life.

"I see, well just take it easy, do you want anything to eat?" Asked the woman, and she chuckled upon hearing Jasper's stomach growl. "Guess I'll take that as a yes. By the way, my name's Bismuth. Mind if I ask yours?"

"J-jasper..." Muttered the white haired woman. Bismuth nodded and brought her inside a warm, but not too hot house. She set her down on what seemed to be a hybrid of a bed and a couch. There was the scent of metal in the air, along with fire. "Blacksmith?" She asked, and knew she would be cursing herself later for showing weakness in front of someone else.

The rainbow haired woman nodded with a small smile. "Yeah, I mostly just build whatever I want and then sell it but I do take requests." She explained, and started grabbing things around the house, Jasper didn't have the strength to watch. "Easy now, I need to see your arm first." She could feel her own arm being lifted before a cold wet cloth was pressed down on her wound making the buff woman growl and hiss with pain. "It's okay, I'm just putting something on your arm to stop that cut from getting worse."

Jasper nodded a bit and tried to think about anything else, the weather? Well the Blue Diamond kingdom was about to go through a drought, while the Yellow Diamond Kingdom was doing incredibly well in terms of food and water. Jasper didn't receive news about the White Diamond kingdom, and refused to hear anything about the Pink Diamond Kingdom. Not anymore...

The white haired woman had a strange sense of wonder and relief (which she was using to block out not only the pain but also the embarrassing fact that Bismuth had lifted her shirt a bit to see her side). It was an absolute relief to know that tonight was going to be a new moon, she had nothing to worry about.

Her wonder came from the fact that by a simple act of kindness this blacksmith was breaking 5 of Queen Yella's laws all at once.

1\. Do not offer Monsters food.

2\. Do not give Monsters shelter.

3\. If you find a Monster it is to be killed immediately.

4\. A wounded Monster is to be killed no matter what.

5\. Do not under any circumstances let a Werewolf into a village.

Yeah, Jasper was pretty thankful for the new moon tonight, it would hide her true nature.

POV SHIFT- Jason Redfox

He tapped his fingers on the window sill, the hunters had come back about an hour ago, most of them hurt and a few had died over at the Siren nest, but they had slaughtered every last one of them... Jason had been forced to heal the brutes.

There was still no sign of the odd little woman who had recently come to the village, Peridot. She always seemed to be writing in her journal that her deceased father had left for her, and while she MIGHT have just been lagging behind the group that theory had gone out the window a little while ago. He sighed, "Where is she?" The brunette muttered to himself, once again surveying the small crowd to see if he could spot the golden flash that was the young woman's hair.

Jason turned away from the window, Peridot was a grown woman, she could (hopefully) handle herself and he was probably just worrying over nothing. The man was about to sit down when there was a loud knock on the door making him jump. The healer went quickly over to the door and opened it, the dark wood make an odd creak sound when he did. He looked at the man before him and fear shot up his spine.

A royal guard was standing in the doorway looking unimpressed. "Get your things." He ordered, "The Queen would like a word with you, Redfox." His voice was gruff and Jason felt his heart drop into his feet, Queen Yella? Why would she want- Realization hit the man like a block of marble. He was known to be a healer, this was true, but he very openly cared for Supernatural people. Although most of them were too shy to step foot near a human he had recently managed to cure an infant Vampire who had come into contact with the sun.

In the Queen of the Yellow Diamond kingdom's eyes that was a crime, the punishment was almost always death.

Jason grabbed his things, unable to tell why the guard had wanted him to and followed him out into the woods. He really hoped it would be a simple case of 'please heal someone in my palace' but in Yella's kingdom there were many healers, most were against helping Supernatural people for obvious reasons. "Would you mind telling me where you're taking me?" He asked as he held his things in a box under his arm and tried to smooth his unruly brown hair with the other.

"Like I said, the Queen needs to speak with you. She didn't give me any details, couldn't tell you if I wanted to." The guard explained. He took the healer into a deeper part of the forest and Jason gasped a bit upon seeing not a Queen Yella, but a deep royal blue palanquin. "Queen Azura is inside." Said the guard as he stood stationary outside of the palanquin, the tall man gestured for him to go inside after a few moments.

Jason stepped in, it was a bit lighter inside then he would have imagined, what with tiny streams of light entering from multiple entrances. There was a seat in the center of it, sitting there was the most elegant woman the healer had ever seen, with her soft pale blue hair and eyes that might have been piercing if she hadn't been obviously crying. She had a long dark blue dress and a pendant around her neck, a large blue diamond was inside of it. There was something oddly fragile about her, but the doctor paid no mind as he bowed to the Queen. "Your Majesty, how may I be of service to you?" He asked, her response was soft, almost a whisper.

"It is my daughter, Princess Azul, she has fallen gravely ill and does not have much time... I'm... I'm asking for your help." She explained, and he nodded before looking up at her curiously. "I do not have many options due to the Princess' heritage." She admitted, "Though I have heard that you are not one for barriers, is this true?"

It took a few seconds for him to realize she expected a quick answer. "Y-yes of course your Majesty." He said nodding, he felt like she was trying to stare right into his soul sometimes. The Queen closed her eyes with the ghost of a smile playing on her lips.

"Thank the gods, please sit, we will be moving and it would be best if you did not fall." She told him, and Jason knelt before her.

"Um, my lady, if I may ask, the Princess' heritage... What makes her different?" The doctor asked, Queen Azura looked a bit happy.

She turned to him and he instantly recognized the look a mother had when she was proud of her child. "Princess Azul is one quarter Water Nymph on her father's side." The blue haired woman explained, and Jason started thinking.

The Blue Diamond kingdom's princess wasn't that old, only twelve years old, she was quiet and reserved according to rumors, along with the fact the actual fact that she was incredibly shy, always seen clinging to her mother's dress during events and hiding her eyes behind her bangs in front of others. Though there were only a few things that could be caused by her Water Nymph blood, and the healer had the feeling he knew exactly what was wrong with the young princess.


	4. A New Flame

_**AN: I do not own the song used in this chapter. I only tweaked a few lines due to how well it fit (along with the dramatic irony it has). If you have not heard the song Hellfire, or want to know what I think it sounds like here, search up Annapantsu's cover. It's amazing.**_

"Oh Lapis... I'm so sorry..." She could hear Peridot whisper to her. "If I could turn back time I would have stopped this, told them that it was too dangerous."

Lapis slowly rose to her feet, her blue skirt had blood on it from where she had knelt. She lifted her hands, the bloodied river water rose up. "Purify..." She muttered, and within seconds it turned back to its original pure, almost blue look. The Witch brought one of her hands close to her skirt.

A small bubble of water broke off from the larger amount, which had started to wash the riverbanks. It floated up to Lapis and began to clean her off. "That's incredible." Said Peridot, awestruck. "How do you do that?"

"I'm half Witch, controlling water is my speciality." She explained, feeling the familiar tingle of power run down her spine with every drop she moved. She purified the water once more before gently setting it all back into the river, letting it flow peacefully once more. "Peridot... I want to go home..."

The blonde looked rightfully confused. "But... Isn't THIS your home?" She asked, her bright green eyes surveying the now clean river.

"Not anymore... I have a cave that I like to live in sometimes when my f-family b-bugs me..." She let out a soft whimper at the thought of her mother and step father, feeling tears prick up in her eyes once more.

Peridot gently hugged her, the blonde was only a tiny bit shorter than Lapis. "Shh, it's okay." She said, and rubbed the Siren's back. "I know what it's like to... To lose people."

"That's not even the half of it. The last thing we ever did was scream at each other over something so stupid... It was a dumb argument and I could've stopped it..." The bereaved woman spoke softly and allowed herself to relax into the human's embrace.

"I know I'm in no place to ask, but what happened?" Asked Peridot, before she quickly added. "You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to though, I won't mind."

Lapis' cheeks coloured slightly as she remembered the argument, she pulled away from the hug to tell her. "They... Well Sirens are often killed when they're young so... They wanted me to take on a mate a-and help repopulate." She explained, and while Peridot also blushed her eyes filled with guilt.

"But you're young. You ARE young right?"

"I'm 22 years old, I don't want a family right now."

Peridot nodded, her eyes filled with understanding. "I was set to be married tomorrow, but I hate my fiance... I didn't even get a say in anything... Hell I even ran away from her." The human's voice was bitter. "She barely gave me time to grieve for my mother..."

Lapis tilted her head, her curiosity rising. After all, Peridot had mentioned losing people. "She um... Well she got really sick, and nobody could stop it..."

The Siren nodded and patted Peridot's back. "Come with me, you said you're running away, so come with me. My home is safe."

Peridot looked extremely confused, her eyes clouded with thought. "But you're a Siren... Isn't this your home?" She asked, and Lapis gave a sad smile.

"Not anymore. Besides, I've always had two. The river and the cave my father gave me, it has something inside that can heal my leg." She explained and pointed down to her ankle, which was still too painful to walk around on. "That and... I don't want to be alone..."

The human nodded, "It's okay, I'll come with you." She said gently. "I don't want to be alone either."

The two walked in silence as the sun started to set. Lapis cursed under her breath, she had somewhere to be tonight, she had a job from the Queen. Although the Witch had a feeling it would be postponed should the Princess still be sick. News travelled fast around the forest. Apparently Holly Blue, Queen Azura's adviser, had gone into the woods to ask Sapphire to help slow down Azul's sickness.

Every Supernatural person throughout every kingdom hoped and prayed to the gods that Azul was okay. She and her mother seemed to be the only powerful people who cared about non-human people. The only two people whose voices were listened to when it came to the subject of whether or not you should die for not being human.

POV SHIFT- Sapphire Avenir

She stood quietly with Ruby, looking at the delicate child that lay before them. Holly Blue had arrived at their house a while ago, begrudgingly asking for Sapphire's help. Sapphire was half Ice Spirit, and her magic was strong enough to slow down sickness in a person's body. The short woman raised her hands over the Princess.

If Azul was looking at her she wouldn't have known, her eyes were covered by her bangs and she had grown weak to the point over barely moving when she coughed. The poor thing looked so frail, her mother didn't need any more death or trauma surrounding her, it was bad enough as it was.

A soft blue light swirled from around her fingertips, slowly going around the young Princess. It was somewhat chilly, forming tiny flowers made of frost around her. It created a cold, translucent, icy blue barrier. "This will last for a while, about a few hours."

Holly looked annoyed. "A few hours? Shouldn't it be longer if you're so powerful?"

"Shouldn't you be more thankful considering I can preform this spell at all?" Sapphire snapped at her. The older woman huffed and turned away, clearly unhappy. Although Sapphire knew Holly wasn't just saying that because she cared about the Princess, in fact the Ice Spirit had the distinct feeling Holly Blue did not care much for Azul at all.

No, it was Azura that Holly Blue seemed to care about. It was easy to see the affection she had for the somber Queen, Sapphire herself was a little frightened of Azura. Though the common claim was that she was rather peaceful and kind she had a bit of a temper. A very childish temper that often led to her throwing a hissy-fit, which could easily hurt people around her, or even herself. It was rare, but Sapphire had heard of incidents where the young Queen could lose all control, as if another person had taken over.

The door to the room opened quickly, speaking of Azura, here she was! "Over here, please hurry." She begged to someone Sapphire couldn't quite see yet. Behind Azura was a young man looking rather startled, he carried the sweet scent of healing potions, which told Sapphire that he was either clumsy or a healer. Considering the situation it was probably the latter.

She moved over when he rushed to Azul's side, bumping into Ruby's side by accident. "Easy now, I've got you." Her wife murmured.

Azul started to cough as Sapphire took her spell away, she looked so pained, the way her daughter Garnet looked every time she saw a bad future. Sapphire wanted to hug the young child and tell her that she would be okay.

Azura knelt down and brushed the hair out of her daughter's face, showing her half-lidded dark blue, almost violet eyes. "Jason..." She whispered to him. "Please help her..."

The human nodded quickly. "I think I know what the problem is." He said, and when she turned to him he continued. "See, you said she is one quarter Water Nymph right? Well when a Water Nymph reaches a certain age they need to occasionally submerge themselves in clean water to stay healthy."

Sapphire cast a quick worried glance at Ruby, the kingdom had been going through a drought, it was no wonder that Azul hadn't gotten much water lately. "We can help your majesty!" Ruby called out quickly. "Sapphire can make lots of ice, a-and I could melt it!"

Azura nodded and let Azul drink from a small cup of water, it made her coughing stop for a little while. "Hurry please." She said without looking up at them. Sapphire and Ruby watched as a few servants ran out only to return a few moment later with a large empty bucket. It would be big enough for the small Princess to get into. Sapphire formed somewhat large pieces of ice between her hands, she would hold them over the bucket for Ruby to melt. Not one time during the process did Ruby burn her, she never had in all their lives.

Once Azul was placed into the water her eyes opened fully and she took a sharp, deep breath in. The Ice Spirit could tell just by sensing her temperature that her fever had also broken instantly, she was as healthy as she had been only a short while ago.

Jason smiled happily, and turned to start walking away. Azura seemed to notice and grabbed his hand, "Please don't go yet." She said with a wide smile before pulling him into a hug. "You saved my child's life, you deserve a reward. We'll be having a celebration tonight, I want you to join us." Said the Queen, her pale blue eyes filled with joy.

It took a few moments for him to nod shyly, it seemed he had never spoken with many women before. "It would... It would be an honour Queen Azura."

Sapphire grinned, it had been so long since there had been any sort of celebration, it would be refreshing. And perhaps she would get to see others preforming, such as Amethyst and her wife Pearl doing magic, Jasper and Carnelian showing their feats of strength, or perhaps Lapis would come and sing for everyone.

Either way, hope was starting to bloom.

POV SHIFT- Limone Diamond

She listened to the ringing of the bells at sacred gates around the palace, along with crackle of fire around her, peaceful and quiet just as she had ordered. Though her mother hated monsters (as did she) she had allowed the princess to keep Fire Spirits in case she wanted her chamber to be warmed. They sat in their cages, not making a peep as embers swirled around them. They could tell simply by the blonde princess' soft smile that she only wanted a little bit of fire.

The eastern lands her mother ruled over were useful. They were filled with monsters that could easily be used, such as Fire Spirits for heating and cooking, Werewolves that had red fur that could make a lovely rug, and at the occasional pond one might find a tiny group of Water Nymphs that you could make into a servant. Not rich in resources though.

These lands came with a hidden gem however, for many people who lived here were gypsies. Her mother's old adviser Percival had married one, and from those two came her beautiful fiancee. She had first spotted the blonde only a few years ago, dancing outside the palace with her mother.

Limone had been stunned. Such grace and power in those controlled yet liberated movements, and apparently she had only just started learning. Peridot did not look much like her mother, though they had the same green eyes Peridot's skin was a bit paler, and her hair was gold to her mother's dirty blonde.

After seeing the half gypsy dance for the first time the princess had run to her mother and demanded to marry her. The Queen had agreed to it before giving the news to Percival and Nora that their daughter would be married to Limone as soon as she was old enough. Limone was only a year older than her, now that Peridot was 22 she was eligible. Limone had watched the little beauty dancing happily as she celebrated with her family, the last thing they would ever do together.

Percival and Nora had left on a trip soon after, as Percival had used an Oracle's eye to foresee that he would find a young woman born of two powerful creatures: A Wizard father, and a Siren Mother.

However, while apparently Percival had found the creature, it hadn't been alone. Its father had been around, and before Percival could study the hybrid it attacked him. Percival had bravely fought against the angered Wizard, going as far as to hit it with a poisoned arrow before dying of his wounds shortly after. Nora had fled in a panic, once she had gotten back to the palace she had collapsed screaming about a horrific monster, and of a noble Siren that could seek vengeance.

Nora Aurum had gone insane, and Queen Yella had mercifully given her water. Laced with poison.

She had died shortly after, with sweet Peridot sobbing by her side begging her not to go. Nobody knew about the poison, not even Nora had known about it.

Tomorrow Limone would be marrying the half gypsy, her smile growing at the thought. The flames around her burned brighter but she wasn't scared. The room she was in was made of stone, and she was at a safe distance. Nothing would catch fire. The Fire Spirits started to sing softly, prayers to the gods above them. But Limone only really liked one goddess, Maria. Goddess of light, life, and intelligence.

"Oh my dear Maria, you know I'm born of righteous men, and of my virtue I am justly proud." Limone sang softly as she looked out the window at the quiet village below, remembering her fiance entertaining a large crowd.

She hated the villagers. "Oh my dear Maria, you know I'm so much purer than... The common, vulgar, weak, licentious crowd!" She kept singing as her fingernails scratched into the grey stone. "Then tell me, Maria! Why I see her dancing there, why her smoldering eyes still scorch my soul!"

The blonde turned around and a bright glow filled the room, the Fire Spirits had created an image of her fiance out of flames. So bright, so tantalizingly close but still untouchable. Limone reached out as if to put her hands on the illusion. "I feel her, I see her! The sun caught in her golden hair is blazing in me out of all control!"

"Like fire, hellfire, this fire in my skin... This burning desire... Is turning me to sin!" She sang loudly as the fire woman twirled around her, swaying her hips and lifting a hand to come so close to touching the princess' cheek.

"It's not my fault! I'm not to blame! It is the gypsy girl, the Witch who sent this flame!" She could feel heat swirl around her, embers flying through the air like angry stars. "It's not my fault! If the gods plan... Has made the devil so much stronger than humans!"

She tried to take a step back, but this illusion had the blonde entranced, she couldn't look away. "Protect me Maria! Don't let this Siren cast her spell, don't let her fire sear my flesh and bones!"

She glared at the image before her, it was teasing her with that wonderful smile, Peridot was a sinful woman who had sympathy for monsters, Limone was only trying to purify her. "Destroy my fiance! And let her taste the fires of hell! Or else let her be mine and mine alone!"

The fire faded as Limone was interrupted by a servant, a lowly filthy excuse for a human. "Princess Limone... Your fiance has escaped."

Limone's golden eyes widened. "What?"

"She's nowhere in within this palace... She's... Gone."

The princess now took a few steps back. "How?! Ugh, nevermind... Get out you idiot!" She roared. "I'll find her... I'll find her if I have to burn down EVERY FOREST!"

The image of Peridot reappeared, she had pressed herself against the wall, eyes filled with terror as the princess advanced on her. "Hellfire! Dark fire! Now gypsy it's your turn! Choose me or your pyre! Be mine or you will burn!" She lashed out to strike at the illusion, only to rear back when the palm of her hand had been slightly singed.

She stared at the dark mark and tears filled her eyes. "Gods have mercy on her..." Limone whispered and blinked the tears away. "Gods have mercy on me..." Her voice broke. She closed her burnt hand into a fist, ignoring the pain Peridot had caused.

"But she will be mine or she will BURN!"


	5. Gold, Werewolves and Rose Petals

**AN: Okay everyone, this story has a blog now! If you want to ask the characters (or me) any questions or talk to them, just go to (or just search it on Tumblr)**

Peridot watched the dark sky, it wasn't very late, but clouds were rolling in, so perhaps it would rain. She sighed with relief, even a little rain would be good to cut through the searing heat of summer. She was walking through the oak forest with Lapis, who seemed to be doing a little better.

"We're here." The Witch muttered and lifted her hand to gesture to a large cave in front of her. It looked as if it had been carved out of stone, what with it being so smooth. However, there was one small problem. It didn't have an opening. "Don't freak out please..." Lapis said softly, her voice drained. Peridot's heart ached for her, the blonde knew how it felt to lose people you loved so much.

The half-Witch pressed a hand to the smoothest part of the stone, her hand began to glow an icy blue, and part of the cave melted away as if it had been nothing but water running off of a rock. Peridot stared, her mouth open but no words coming out, Lapis stepped inside, and she followed quickly. The cave was lovely, carved delicately and looking almost like a human home. There was furniture carved from a mixture of wood and stone, tables with small stone plates, a long stone table in the back covered in glass bottles filled with liquids of different colours, soft fleece blankets scattered everywhere, and an oven filled with wood.

Large pale blue crystals stuck up from the ground, glowing brightly enough to illuminate the place perfectly, along with the beautiful glowing plants that grew in the soft dirt that, oddly enough, didn't seem to get on Lapis' feet or any of the furniture.

Lapis was walking around, she turned a corner and left Peridot behind. The blonde took out her book and began to draw, her memory was flawless, each detail had already ingrained itself in her from the moment the Witch Siren had decided to spare her life. Soft dark blue hair, freckles, deep blue eyes with gold flecks, smooth skin, pointy teeth, a knee-length skirt the colour of the bright blue sky that was hidden away

Peridot had no clue if she could sit on the couches, Lapis hadn't said a word since she'd walked in. The blonde sat on the floor and began to write alongside her drawing of Lapis.

'The rumour is that Witches prefer to live in caves. It appears that this rumour is true. The cave that I have been generously allowed into is magnificent, the plants and crystals glow, it is not too hot or cold, sealed for safety and even the dirt itself is enchanted to prevent a mess.'

The blonde closed the book quickly when she heard Lapis' footsteps again. She tucked it away in her bag and looked up, Lapis' eyebrows were raised and her head was tilted. "Are you okay?" She asked. Peridot noticed that the cut on her ankle was completely gone. "In case you're wondering, I have healing potions. Um, here's your handkerchief." After standing up Peridot took it from her and shoved it into her bag.

"You make healing potions?" The blonde looked at her, eyes wide. Making potions could be so difficult! The ingredients could be hard to find, and if you made it wrong the result could end up in severe harm to yourself and others, or worse. There were even some potions that had been banned for causing too much bloodshed...

Lapis looked a little proud, she gently led Peridot over to the table covered in bottles. "It's what I do for money. My father taught me how to make them, these are all of the ones that still need work." The blue haired woman explained, and Peridot's heart swelled seeing her smile, she was truly proud of her abilities. She may have had sadness in her gaze, and the blonde knew that deep down her heart was most definitely aching, but she appeared to be hiding it.

"If I can ask... Lapis, do you have a job?" Peridot asked her, and Lapis' eyes widened. "Lap-"

"Oh gods I almost forgot... I have somewhere important to be." The Witch told her before grabbing a bag that looked full of things, Peridot's interest in the Siren was already high, but now it getting higher. She desperately wanted to know what Lapis was doing.

"Could I come with you? I... I don't have anywhere to go... My village never really accepted me." She admitted, staring at her feet. She'd send Jason a message, the Queens had mail carriers all over the place. Everything would be fine. "Please, I won't disturb you."

The Siren sighed and nodded. "Yes, you can come with me. I need help with things anyway. It's just... some people I know there may not like you very much, or at least, they'll come off as pretty cold. Don't take it too personally, they're just cautious." She explained, but Peridot understood. They had every right to be nervous.

"Alright, let's go."

POV SHIFT- Bismuth Burkhart

She had been tending to this odd woman's wounds all day, along with untangling her hair and snipping the parts that were dead. This girl, Jasper, had been surprised to see that none of them had scarred, but Bismuth had explained that they were made to be special. A plant grew near the village that could heal better than almost any other, Sky Ferns.

Having Jasper around was a nice change of pace from being so alone. The sun was still shining brightly, but starting to slowly sink. The rainbow haired woman tossed a bit of bread out to her chickens before heading back inside to check on her guest. "How are you feeling now?" She asked and sat on the chair near the couch she had put Jasper on.

The white haired girl grinned. "A lot better." She'd eaten and slept a bit, her amber eyes seemed to be gleaming with energy. "Thank-"

"Nope, no need to thank me. I couldn't just leave you there, could I?" Bismuth gave her shoulder a gentle pat. "So... If I'm allowed to ask... Where are you from? And what happened? Why were you out there at all?" If Jasper didn't want to answer her questions that was perfectly fine, but... She really wanted to know a little more about the stranger she had brought into her home.

Jasper chuckled a bit, "Easy, one at a time." She closed her eyes, as if to think for a second. "I'm... I'm from the Pink Diamond kingdom."

Bismuth's eyes widened. No one had lived there since Queen Rosa had been killed at the end of the war. After the young Queen's death there had been mass panic, people fleeing from... Something. Bismuth herself had lived in the Pink Diamond kingdom, but her family had fled the same day Queen Rosa had been murdered.

"I can answer your other two questions at the same time. I was out there because I had to deliver food to my friend who lives at a river, she's a Si-singer." She took on a slightly nervous smile. "Heh, can't talk today... Anyway, the place where she lives, the food supply is kinda low, so I... Bring her some food to eat. I um, I got attacked by something, I couldn't see it though, so I don't know what it was."

The rainbow haired woman nodded. "Thanks, just wanted to know you. I was born in that kingdom too, but my family left when I was still young, I barely remember it."

She studied Jasper, long fluffy white hair, somewhat sharp looking teeth, dark skin and odd reddish orange tattoos on her arms and face. "Where'd you get your tattoos-"

"A real nice place, down in Nunya." Jasper answered before she had even really finished asking, but now Bismuth had another question.

"Where's Nunya?"

"Nunya business." The tall woman said with a smirk. Bismuth rolled her eyes and glanced at her own tattoos, black stars on her shoulders. She'd received them when she'd been granted access to some place called 'Star Garden'. She had no idea where it was, or why it was so important, but apparently she had access to it for helping stop a riot in the streets of Yella's kingdom.

"Very funny, get some sleep jackass." She said while trying not to laugh. Jasper smiled and curled up on her couch. Bismuth couldn't help but think of how very animal-looking Jasper was when she slept, almost like a dog.

POV SHIFT- Pearl Prather

"Come on Amethyst, you can do it! I know you can!" She cheered for the purple haired Witch, who blushed and puffed out her cheeks.

"Knock it off I'm tryin' to focus!" She huffed and put her hands together. Pearl sat beside Garnet, Steven almost asleep in the tall woman's arms as Amethyst practised her magic. The short girl was trying to shape-shift into a rabbit, she'd been working on it for a few days and she felt she was ready.

Pearl's heart fluttered with pride seeing the slightest bit of a soft purple glow form between her wife's fingers. She covered her baby blue eyes when a bright flash of pale violet filled the room. Garnet had already covered Steven's eyes, and he was now fully wide awake, wiggling in the Oracle's arms desperate to see if Amethyst had done it.

"Guys, I think it worked!" Amethyst cheered, and Pearl smiled with pride. Her wife had successfully transformed into a fluffy pale purple rabbit. It was always a bit hard to change colour, but they were going for a creature this time.

Steven cheered wildly for the short woman... Rabbit? "Aww, Amethyst you look so cute!" He told her, before yawning a little. The half Wizard was young, only 9 years old. (Although he'd argue he was 9 and a half)

Amethyst looked at him, she hopped up too him. "No, I'm not cute, I'm an EVIL rabbit sent to eat little kids who don't get to bed on time!" She roared, and Steven gave his guardians quick hugs goodnight, with Pearl and Garnet both giving him a small kiss on the top of his head. Amethyst licked his nose.

"Goodnight guys." He told them, and went into bed. Pearl gave a sigh, she wasn't tired but relieved. They had all worried each day that something could go wrong with Steven, even though the boy's father had assured them they were doing wonderfully. It was hard to raise a child, especially without their leader, for Steven's mother, Rose, had passed away just moments after Steven had been born. It was especially difficult due to the fact that Steven was half Wizard, and half Human.

The first one to ever exist.


	6. Lost in Thoughts

_**Please listen to the Nohr Version of the song: Lost in Thoughts All Alone for when Lapis sings, it'll make this chapter a whole lot better!**_

Carnelian ran as fast as she could as rain poured down from above. "Come on Skinny!" She shouted, and the footsteps behind her got louder. The two of them had been out hunting for a few fish (some to eat and maybe some to sell) when the sky above them had broken and unleashed a downpour of warm rain.

The two lived in a much deeper part of the Blue Diamond kingdom, close to the Blue-White border. At least... They lived there now. Carnelian and her girlfriend liked to travel all around the kingdom, this WAS the only safe one for the (literal) couple of monsters.

The redhead herself may have been half Human, but her other half was a Werewolf, every night with a moon she transformed, though she wasn't as strong as other Werewolves, Carnelian was just as swift, an excellent hunter and tracker with her keen sense of smell.

Skinny also had ties to humanity, but those ties had been severed and burned as a child. When the white haired woman had been young, her father had been a cruel man. Many supernatural people were prone to a protective instinct towards young people. One night, a Vampire had broken into Skinny's home, killing her father and biting the young girl. In the darkness of the night she had transformed from a human child to a young Vampire.

And she couldn't be any more happy with it.

Some of the Vampires at their main area, the quarry, had rejected her. She wasn't like them, she had once been human, and human-turned Vampires had white wings, not brown or black. Some of them were kind though, she had the feeling that the others just thought that she wouldn't be able to hunt as well as they could.

Oh, but Skinny could hunt alright, she was fast, strong, and her fangs were just as sharp as theirs. She could drink the blood out of anything she wanted to, along with drinking the red out of things like strawberries.

The one thing she could never drink from though, was her beloved Carnelian. The half Werewolf she met 2 years ago. It had been a bad time for monsters, a famine going through different villages all throughout the continent. The Pink Diamond Kingdom was... Off limits, the deserts were the Yellow Diamond Kingdom was located were dangerous for a sunlight sensitive Vampire, not to mention Yella's intense hatred for monsters, Werewolves especially. Azura's kingdom was safe, but at the time it had been less so. The poor Queen worked tirelessly to revoke her father's harmful laws without starting a civil war.

People in that kingdom were mostly okay with monsters now, but last year... They were still areas with those awful signs.

'Humans Only'

'For Monsters'

Skinny and Carnelian had nearly been put under arrest for wandering into a human only inn. The two had run away, and hidden together in a small forest away from the guards. They had exchanged stories, Carnelian explaining that she wasn't purely a Werewolf, but half human too. Skinny had confessed to her human origins, and the two had settled down for the night inside a large tree hollow.

They'd become fast friends, and during last year's autumn, they had fallen in love.

Deep in the cave, huddled in the rocks, Skinny let her form shift to that of a small white bat, and snuggled into Carnelian's arms. The rain poured down outside as the two of them held each other close. Tomorrow... Tomorrow they would find food, they'd survive.

They always pulled through. Together.

POV SHIFT- Peridot Aurum

OH GODS WHAT WAS SHE THINKING?!

This was insane, following this woman to the Blue Diamond palace... Lapis hadn't even given any true signs of actually trusting her. Sure, she had let the blonde into her home, but... Peridot could tell that the Witch still wasn't sure about her.

The blonde wanted to protect Lapis, a horrible guilt manifesting in her heart over what had happened. The blue haired woman had been so quiet, her heart must have been broken... Having to watch her colony be destroyed by humans for the awful crime of being different... It was no wonder Lapis harboured a hatred for humanity.

Speaking of the pretty Siren, she startled the blonde when she spoke up. Peridot had been turned around when she had requested to change into a different outfit, as her current one had been rained on, and she kept a spare at the palace.

"So? How do I look?" She heard Lapis ask, and the blonde turned around. Her eyes widened, Lapis was beautiful! A long flowing skirt that rippled through blue, indigo, and silver swayed gently with her every move. The top she wore left her stomach exposed, it was a deep royal blue with tiny bits of shimmering gold fabric sewn in. Her body had been covered with gold jewelry, her arms, neck, and hips all had the shining things hanging down. A small veil type of thing went over her mouth, attached to the golden band that went into her hair, teardrops carved into it.

In her hands were two large rings, water from one of the vases in the palace made its way over to create a glimmering veil between the rings.

Peridot's heart pounded in her chest. She knew Sirens were supposed to be beautiful, but gods was Lapis pretty. "Well?" She asked. "Did you hear me? I asked how I looked."

Oh, right, Peridot had to actually SPEAK. That was a thing that people did when they weren't busy being too gay to function. "U-umm… I uh… You…"

Lapis frowned. "Come on, spit it out!" She urged, and it seemed that the rumour of Sirens having fragile hearts rang true.

"You look so beautiful, Lapis." She admitted, watching the Siren smirk with pride. Peridot could see it in her though, beyond all that tough exterior Lapis' heart was broken. Those deep blue eyes held a sorrow that she wasn't willing to let slip through, she was trying to fake her smile and hold herself together.

A loud bell rang through the hall, and Lapis ran off without her. The blonde tried to follow after her, but was stopped by a tall woman with pale blue hair done up in two buns. "Sorry miss, but this way is for our performer, guests are to enter through the OTHER door into the dining hall, as per the Queen's orders." She explained.

Not wanting to look foolish, Peridot decided to go along with it. "Oh um, sorry, I uh... Wanted a sneak peak at her, I hear she's wonderful."

The woman nodded. "Yes, I have to agree she is quite something. But you'll have to wait. Now follow me, you don't want to be late for this!" She ushered Peridot over into a huge room, torches and glowing crystals lighting it up. Three long tables sat in the room, one at the very front, the other two at the sides. Nobles were all around, watching the center of the room as a few other stood there, instruments ready. At the longest table, the one at the front of the hall, sat Queen Azura and her daughter.

Princess Azul looked much better, her colour had come back, making her a bit more tan, along with her mother. Peridot smiled, she was glad to see such an adorable little girl so happy, especially after her sickness.

And next to them was a very familiar face, Jason! He waved to Peridot, and offered the seat next to him. "Peridot, how did you get here?" He asked. "Did you know I was here?"

She shook her head. "No, I uh... Let's just say I may or may not have made a new... Friend." She struggled too explain before another set of doors opened, and the room went silent. Lapis stood there, walking out into the very center of the room in all her dark shimmering beauty.

Water swirled around her, gleaming brightly as the Siren-Witch started to sing. "Embrace the dark, you call a home." She sang, drums beating as her hips swayed with the water around her, her pale blue eyes now glowing.

"Gaze upon an empty white throne, a legacy of lies, a familiar disguise!" Her voice was hypnotic, the water spiralling out beneath her feet only to come back to her, her nails swiping through it as she stared back at her audience.

"Sing with me a song... Of conquests and fates, the black pillar cracks beneath its weight!" She moved in closer, hips swaying, eyes glowing, and with the occasional twirl sending soft mist towards them, sparkling beautifully just like her.

"Night breaks through the day, hard as a stone! Lost in thoughts, all alone!" Her song ended, the water around her suddenly flaring out around the guests to return to wherever she had gotten it from.

Thunderous applause roared through the hall, people cheering for Lapis, whose cheeks were flushed, her chest heaving as she stood there, basking in their praise.

POV SHIFT- Lapis Lazuli

Oh they loved her, damn right they loved her. What they had no idea though, was that her song was an illegal one, a major 'fuck you' to Queen Blanche. It was something the Sirens sang in there own language, Lapis had translated it.

Right now though, she was more focused on how the crowd cheered for her, the way her voice ached to sing more even as her magic had drained away from the performance. Her cheeks burned as they praised her, as Peridot smiled and clapped for her, Queen Azura and Princess Azul cheering happily as Lapis walked over to their table.

Azul got up from her seat and hugged the Witch tightly. "Thank you! This was even better than my birthday." Azul told her, she loved to watch Lapis sing and dance. The tan woman hugged back, taking the veil over her mouth off, along with setting her rings, the water on them now gone, onto the table.

"Thank you Azul, you're very sweet." She said to the little Princess, who sat back with her mother and chattered happily to her. Lapis sat with Peridot, who was grinning.

"You didn't tell me you could do THAT!" She gushed. "That was incredible! I've never seen anything like that, and your voice! Oh Lapis it was so amazing, I've never heard something that beautiful before!" All the compliments made blood rush to the blue haired girl's cheeks, her gills opening and flapping quickly.

She saw Peridot's eyes widen, but the smile never leaving her face. "You... Your gills-"

"They come out when I get flustered, or things like that." She responded a little too quickly. She perked up though she caught the scent of food, her stomach empty from using her magic.

"What's wrong?" Peridot asked her. "Are you hungry?"

Lapis nodded and looked at the shorter girl. "When I use magic, it takes my energy, when I have no energy left to give, it takes sustenance. It can take food right from my stomach and turn it into magical energy, which is why I always have to eat after using it. It's a balance."

Very quickly, Peridot took a book out of her bag, and wrote what she said down. Curious... But Lapis would ask later. Right now, she was a little more focused on the hunger gnawing at her belly.

Servants came around, delivering food and water to everyone in the hall. Lapis grabbed a few pieces of bread, two large pieces of fish, some chicken, and a few fruits. "Gods, you really weren't kidding. You really are hungry." Peridot murmured, Lapis offhandedly told her to shut it.

Azura came up behind her. "Now my dear, please don't make a mess, the food isn't going anywhere." The Queen said with a small chuckle. The Siren nodded, and dug in. Bread first of course, it was warm still, and who the hell wouldn't want fresh bread?

The fruit had a nice little garnish on it, dark leaves that were a bit... Spiky... Lapis peered at it, her mouth still full, but something was wrong.

Apparently the fellow who was sitting next to the queen knew it too. He came over and took her fruit away. Now, Lapis' instinct was to bite him, or his at him, but he went quickly back over to the Queen. Looks like they both knew what was wrong.

All species of creature had a flaw. A Witch's flaw? Golden speckled oleander. Everything about that damned flower was toxic to them. The stem, petals, LEAVES, and especially its pollen. Any part of it would trigger a sickness in them that would kill them within days unless treated.

The cooks should have known she was coming though, she always came around this time, so why had that been in the food?

"Holly!" Azura snapped. "Come here."

What had once been a happy atmosphere had died down, a hushed quiet fell over everyone, an angry buzz sweeping through the murmurs of the people.

Even Peridot looked angry. "What the hell happened? She hissed. Lapis leaned in to talk to her.

"Someone put something in the food that could kill me. Those leaves are poisonous to Witches." She explained.

"What?!" Peridot whisper-shouted. Lapis silenced her and pointed over to where Holly and Azura were talking.

"Holly, how did this happen, it could have killed her, you know this, why did you not tell the cooks?" Azura looked pissed, glaring at her servant.

Holly Blue, Lapis didn't like that woman. She didn't really like 'monsters', and saw Lapis as a nuisance. "Your Majesty, I... I was with Ruby and Sapphire, and helping to decorate, you know that I would never wish to hurt Miss Lazuli!" She protested. "I may not quite like her but I'd never want to kill her. I wasn't with the chefs, I'm sorry." She looked genuinely frightened.

Azura took a deep breath. "Do not let this happen again. Do you understand me?"

"Y-yes Your Majesty." Holly mumbled, cheeks flushed with embarrassment as she went back to her table.

Azura glanced over to Lapis. "My dear, would you like something else instead of the fruit?" She asked. "I can assure you that no part of that flower ever goes towards anything other than fruit garnish. I'm deeply sorry for the inconvenience."

The Siren's mouth was full of fish now, her bread fully eaten and already being replaced with more. "Umm... Yesh pleashe." She said before swallowing her food. And before you ask, yes this was her second plate of fish. Was. Now it was her third. She couldn't help it, she was hungry and this food was amazing! Made for a Queen, and SHE could eat it! "Extra dessert...?" She asked, and Azura chuckled.

The angry air around them faded, and everyone went back to being happy again. Lapis looked over to Peridot, and softly smiled at her confused face. "What's wrong?" She asked, the blonde jumping a little in her seat before looking back to Lapis.

"Just a second ago, I felt so... Angry." She explained. "Now I feel fine, what happened?"

Lapis smirked a little. "That would be Azura's power. She can effect people's emotions if hers are strong enough. It's her gift, she's had it since she was a baby. Her father had it too, and it passed down to her."

"Then why weren't you effected?"

"The jewelry she gave me. It stops the effects, just like those who are related to her." She pointed to the bracelets, and all the other beautiful shiny things Azura had given her. "She gave me them for that, and because... Sirens love shiny things. It's her way of flattering me."

"Just like dinner?"

Lapis' cheeks flushed red, she took another bite of her fish and wiped her mouth. "U-um, well I need to eat like this, it's to restore my magic. I used a lot, so it took my energy, and even the food I ate earlier. So... It's either eat this, or pass out from hunger." She managed to explain to the curious human, whose gaze was filled with wonder.

"Really? That's amazing, it's like a perfect balance!" She chirped. "Gods, I can see why the farmers are so scared right now-"

"Excuse me?" A voice from behind them asked, Lapis turned around to see Sapphire standing there, not impressed. "What about the farmers?" The Ice Spirit-Werewolf glared at her.

Peridot stared at her and Ruby. "W-well I'm just saying, what with the firestorms coming, a-and the Eclipse making Monsters go insane-"

"We're not a threat to farms!" Ruby snarled from her place beside Sapphire, her fangs bared. "It's a stupid myth to make humans even more afraid of us. Yes, the firestorm is coming, and yes, some monsters can consume a LOT of food, but that doesn't mean they HAVE to consume it like that, they can just not use magic for a while! We're not a threat to crops, we never have been."

"I'm just saying, that Eclipse can make some people display bad behaviour!" The human tried to defend herself. "It's not your fault some monsters are actually bad!"

The Siren had heard enough, seen enough, and felt enough for one day. "Just like how it's not our fault humans push us to do bad things, like starving us, enslaving us, or KILLING us. You know, like what happened at MY home. Remember Peridot? Did you think I'd be okay with that? With thinking that your kind could EVER accept mine? Well I have news for you. If it's not Ruby's fault that monsters do bad things, it's a human's fault."

The blonde looked down now. Lapis stood up from her spot, "Your Majesty, I have to go. I'll be back soon." She said without any tone in her voice, and walked over to Ruby and Sapphire. "Come on, let's go."

"Wait, Lapis I'm sorry!" Peridot called to her as the three all but ran out of the palace. "Please come back, I-I didn't know better! I'm sorry! Please don't go!"

The tan woman watched as the Vampire and Werewolf fled into the forest. She turned to the shorter woman, a harsh glare on her face. "Are you afraid of me?" She asked, fists clenched as Peridot wordlessly shook her head. "Do you really think I'm going to hurt you?"

"N-no..."

Lapis took a step forward, her intense gaze staring the blonde down. "So when that Eclipse comes, do you think I might... KILL YOU?!" She snapped, showing her teeth and making her gills puff out, her eyes glowing. Peridot gasped in fear, taking a step back and reaching her hand to... Her pocket. Where her knife had been, the knife she had threatened Lapis with.

"W-wait, Lapis-"

"I knew it..." The blue haired girl shook her head. "You're just like all the others. Get away from me..." And with that, the Siren ran off into the forest, closing her eyes to try and stop the too-long held back tears from slipping down her face. She pushed away the cries from Peridot as she fled into the night.

"Lapis, please, I'm sorry!" Peridot cried. "I'm sorry!"


End file.
